


New Tattoo

by Zelda Ophelia (ZeldaOphelia)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Community: fandom_stocking, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-09
Updated: 2009-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-04 23:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/35032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeldaOphelia/pseuds/Zelda%20Ophelia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer Reid prided himself on being observant, it was hard to be anything but when you never forgot that which you had seen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> For kayim's 2008 fandom stocking.

Spencer Reid prided himself on being observant, it was hard to be anything but when you never forgot that which you had seen. Which is why he stood in the locker room after the self-defense refreshser course, staring into his locker and trying to remember just _when_ Derek had gotten a new tattoo. While, technically, he understood that the imprint of years of bullying through junior high and high school had led to the habit of always looking straight ahead while in the locker room - never looking at, talking to, or interacting with anyone else - he still wondered how he had missed it. It was one thing to keep your head down and not bother anyone. It was something entirely different to ignore life changing, or at least body changing, decisions made by your friends. There were signs he should have noticed, tenderness and soreness of the tattooed area, stiffness of movement, a subsequent decrease in tackling of suspects and moving vehicles. He was carefully cataloguing all of his teammate's actions for the past few months (the tattoo was no longer red or sore looking so it wasn't _new_ new) when Derek walked up.

"What's with the look, Reid? Waiting for your gym socks to jump out and bite you?"

"Hmm? No, I was just thinking about something." He prevaricated as he quickly closed the locker door and started repacking his messenger bag. "Are you heading back to the office?"

"Yeah, there are some case files I want to look through." Derek said as he started out the door. It had just begun to close behind him when Spencer flew through it, closing his bag as he walked quickly.

"Me, too. And I wanted to see if JJ had anything else for us." He paused a beat as they walked. "Hey, Morgan?"

Derek turned his head, eyebrow raised. "Yeah?"

"Nice tattoo."


End file.
